[Use in France of Baclofen for Alcohol Dependence from 2007 to 2013: Cohort Study Based on the Databases SNIIRAM and PMSI].

AIM: To quantify and describe the population starting treatment with baclofen for alcohol dependence during the period 2007-2013 in France.

METHODS

The French national health insurance (système national d'information inter-régimes de l'Assurance maladie [SNIIRAM]) and French hospital discharge (programme de médicalisation des systèmes d'information [PMSI]) databases were used to identify the population starting treatment with baclofen, determine the algorithm of baclofen use, define patient characteristics and their treatment.

RESULTS

About 200,000 subjects initiated baclofen therapy between 2007 and 2013, for alcohol dependence in 52.0% of cases. In 2013, this population was predominantly male (62.3%), with a mean age of 50.1 years, the first prescriber was a general practitioner in 58.9% of cases, they continued their treatment 6 months after their initiation in 48.8% of cases and one half of these subjects consumed at least 57.0 mg of baclofen daily.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of baclofen for alcohol dependence increased considerably since 2008, with more than 34,000 new users and more than 9,000 general practitioners as first prescribers in 2013.